The Imperial Royal Tea Ritual in Vietnamese Culture

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of national reunification and National Tourism Year 2025, themed ‘Hue – Ancient Capital, New Opportunities’, in conjunction with Festival Hue 2025, ‘Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development’, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, in collaboration with the DOI DEP brand, restored the ritual, sketching the special features of the refined tea-enjoyment tradition of Vietnam's kings and lords of the past.

Restoring the space and reenacting the Imperial Royal Tea ritual

Drawing on cultural and historical artifacts, the tea space displays pairs of parallel couplets that Emperor Thieu Tri inscribed from his own poems, in the style of the couplets of the old royal court.

In the tableau, the emperor hosts a tea banquet for his courtiers and guests. While drinking tea, the emperor and his mandarins recite poetry and take turns composing, line by line, a seven-word, eight-line Tang-style poem about enjoying tea in times of peace. The emperor then commands the court musicians and singers to recite the poem that he and the mandarins have just composed.

Finally, the emperor bestows tea on the mandarins, presents tea to the guests and declares the tea gathering over.

Tea in Vietnamese life: From the royal court to the common people

Not only in the royal court, tea culture has long been deeply rooted in Vietnamese life. A fragrant pot of tea on the table for receiving guests is a familiar sight in any village.

The older we grow, the more we turn toward stillness. A cup of tea in the early morning is like a small mirror reflecting on life: gentle, refined and profound. Perhaps that is why, for Vietnamese people, tea is not just a beverage but also a symbol of a philosophy of life: living slowly, living deeply and living beautifully.

Festival Hue 2025: When tea becomes a cultural bridge

In reenacting the Imperial Royal Tea ritual as part of Festival Hue 2025, the Organizing Committee, together with the DOI DEP brand – a brand devoted to preserving the Vietnamese soul – not only rekindled pride in royal court culture but also skillfully connected tradition and modernity. Visitors from afar, young and old alike, could experience a solemn, tranquil and deeply poetic tea space.

Vietnamese tea culture has not only been revived in the hearts of its admirers but has also risen to become a symbol of peace, stability and cooperative development among cultures. In every delicate wisp of tea fragrance lies an invitation from a peace-loving nation – one that longs to build a world where identity is respected, values are shared, and friendship is nurtured with empathy and sincerity.

It is also how Vietnam preserves the quintessence of the past to light up the future – nurturing national pride, awakening awareness of heritage preservation, and inspiring the younger generation to carry on the dream of an enduring, prosperous and powerful nation in the new era.

Source: Doi Dep FMCG